May 2, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

A large smoke plume in the vicinity of Azovstal steel plant — the last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol — is seen rising over the city in new video.

CNN has geolocated and verified the authenticity of the video, which was first posted on Telegram by a pro-Russian channel on Monday evening. 

The video shows the large, black smoke plume near the northern side of the sprawling steel plant complex. It's unclear from the video whether the smoke is emanating from the plant itself, or whether it's from an area just nearby.

However, a deputy commander with the Azov battalion at the plant, confirmed to CNN that the smoke in the video was coming from the plant, which was hit by a military strike. The soldier would not say what part of the plant was hit, noting that they did not want the Russians to correct their aim. 

CNN has previously reported that a commander among the Ukrainian soldiers at the besieged Azovstal steel plant says the complex has been under "constant fire" since early Monday.

The video also shows a number of cars on a roadway in northwestern Mariupol, in addition to bombed out public buses and military vehicles. Apartment complexes on the side of the road also have sustained damage during the siege of the city.

Images geolocated by CNN show that an important road bridge linking the town of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region with settlements further east has been heavily damaged. It appears that at least one artillery round landed close to or on the bridge, which spans the Syverskiy Donets river.

A few days ago, the railway bridge just to the north was disabled by what appears to have been an explosive charge.

Neither the Ukrainian nor Russian forces have commented.

The bridges are an important link between Sloviansk and the town of Lyman further east, which has been under heavy attack by Russian artillery for several days. 

The US has “highly credible” intelligence reports that Russia will try to annex the separatist-occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk “some time in mid-May,” and that there are plans to create a similarly so-called “people’s republic” in Kherson to be annexed as well, the US Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said.

Carpenter added that Russia is reportedly abducting local officials in towns they hold in eastern and southern Ukraine to replace with “groups that are loyal to Moscow,” and are also disappearing “school directors, journalists, local activists, municipal officials.”

“More recently, there have been reports as well that Russian forces have cut off internet and some cellular phone access in these regions in order to disable the flow of reliable information,” said Carpenter, adding that in these towns, Russia “may try to hold sham referenda to try to add a veneer of democratic or electoral legitimacy.” 

The Azov Regiment, whose soldiers continue to resist Russian forces at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, says five Russian soldiers were killed late Monday during an attempted assault on the plant.

A missile was fired Monday at "one of Odesa's infrastructure facilities," said Maksym Marchenko, head of the Odesa region military administration.

"Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded," he said.

Separately, the Ukrainian military's Command South reported, "Another missile strike in the Odesa region. There were hits to the city infrastructure. In particular, one of the religious buildings was damaged. Information about the victims is being clarified."

A journalist in Odesa told CNN an Orthodox church had been hit near the civilian airport. 

Cruise missiles were launched against Odesa's airport at the weekend, putting its runway out of action.

The press center of the Ukrainian military in the south has told CNN one person was killed in a missile strike that hit Odesa late Monday.

Natalia Humenuk, the press center director, said the missile hit a residential building, killing a 15-year-old boy. A child was also injured and was taken to hospital. 

A commander among the Ukrainian soldiers at the besieged Azovstal steel plant says the complex has been under "constant fire" since early Monday.

Mykhailo Vershynin, chief of the Mariupol Patrol Police, told CNN that "after the Red Cross mission left, we have been under constant fire since the early morning. Artillery and naval artillery are firing non-stop. Air strikes are constantly being launched."

About 100 civilians were evacuated from the plant Sunday, but a further planned evacuation for Monday did not take place. 

"When I see five or six people die every day under bombs and the wounded die because they can't get necessary medical care, and when I see what the soldiers eat — they're already starting to faint because of hunger, I think it is necessary to address the world community," Vershynin said.

"Today firstly there is no evacuation, and secondly there is a planned destruction. To say that an evacuation is underway is a cynical lie," he said.

Russian teams and clubs have been banned from participating in competitions of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) "until further notice," the European football governing body announced on Monday.

Portugal will replace Russia at the Women's EURO 2022 final tournament scheduled for England in July, UEFA said.  

Russia will not play their two matches scheduled in April for the European qualification to the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.

For the 2022-23 season, Russia will not have any clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Youth League.

UEFA also said Russia's bid to host EURO 2028 or EURO 2032 has been ruled ineligible.

The Ukrainian military has confirmed that its forces have won back control of several settlements to the north and east of Kharkiv, potentially making it more difficult for the Russians to launch missile and artillery attacks against the city.

Ruska Lozova — a village north of Kharkiv — "returned to our control despite aggravation and losses," the military said Monday.

The military also said the village of Verkhnya Rohanka in the east of Kharkiv was back in Ukrainian hands, and that the operation had been led by Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander of land forces.

In the past two weeks, Ukraine has reclaimed about a half dozen villages in the area, bringing its forces slightly closer to Russian supply lines that run from the border to Izium.

Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian forces 40 kilometers (24 miles) to the east of Kharkiv over the last 24 to 48 hours, a senior US defense official told reporters Monday.

The official called it part of an “incredible effort” from the Ukrainian forces.

“It’s just another piece of the stiff Ukrainian resistance that they continue to demonstrate. And again to remind Kharkiv is important to the Russians because it sits at the very northwestern sort of lip or edge of that Donbas region,” the official said.

More than 70 M777 Howitzers have arrived in Ukraine — which is about 80% of the total 90 the US committed to giving the country, a senior US defense official told reporters Monday. 

“Over 200 Ukrainian artillerymen” have now been trained on the M777 Howitzers, including a group of 50 Ukrainians that are scheduled to graduate from the training today, the official added.

“Another 50 plus” Ukrainians will be arriving at one of the training sites outside of Ukraine “later this week” to begin training on the M777 Howitzers. A group of 20 Ukrainian soldiers began a “week-long training course” on the Phoenix Ghost UAV systems on May 1, the official added.

Over the last 24 hours, 13 flights of US security assistance for Ukraine has arrived in the European region, and an additional 11 flights from the US will arrive in the region over the course of the next 24 hours, the official said. 

There have also been "23 deliveries via airlift” from five other nations received “again, at locations in the region outside Ukraine” of security assistance for the country, the official added.